Star Trek: Discovery Replaces Its Showrunners, Reportedly Over Drama in the Writers Room

The CBS All Access series Star Trek: Discovery is, not for the first time, jettisoning its showrunners into space. Bryan Fuller left the production in July 2017, before the first episode had even aired, over creative differences and disputes about budget and timing, and was replaced with Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts, who oversaw the first season. Now, Berg and Harberts have also been sent out the airlock, CBS Television Studios confirmed to the to the Hollywood Reporter, with Discovery’s second seasoncontinuing under the supervision of Alex Kurtzman instead.

Though CBS has not given a specific explanation for why Berg and Harberts left, Variety cited “tension” in the writers room, while sources told THR that they were ousted over budget troubles and a toxic-sounding work environment:

Insiders also stress that Berg and Harberts became increasingly abusive to the Discovery writing staff, with Harberts said to have leaned across the writers room table while shouting an expletive at a member of the show’s staff. Multiple writers are said to have been uncomfortable working on the series and had threatened to file a complaint with human resources or quit the series altogether before informing Kurtzman of the issues surrounding Berg and Harberts.

Kurtzman, an executive producer on Discovery’s first season, also had a hand in Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness, so he’s well positioned to shepherd the second half of Season 2, which will bring in some familiar characters from The Original Series, including Anson Mount as Christopher Pike.